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Andrew General Contractors recently completed an interior buildout for our new Orlando office. The buildout included demolition of existing offices, structural improvem ents, repair of the existing EIFS system and roof, and construction of 4400 square feet of new office space.

The team at Andrew GC delivered our project on time and on budget. From pre-construction to project close out, Andrew GC was well organized, detailed in their document management, and proactive in handling the schedule and costs. They anticipated and communicated construction issues early and provided solutions that kept our project moving. They established and maintained a consistent line of communication that made decision making efficient.

John Sokol, our project manager, was very knowledgeable and professional. John was able to incorporate our design changes throughout the process and offer cost saving solutions without sacrificing quality or craftsmanship. John’s attention to detail and care was instrumental in delivering a uniformly high quality finish.

Working with Dave, Matt & John on this project was a true pleasure. I would highly recommend Andrew GC for any future projects.

NewsComments Off on AGC Named One of Central Florida’s Largest Construction Companies

Andrew General Contractors, Inc. is ranked number 25 on the Orlando Business Journal’s list of Central Florida’s Largest Construction Companies/General Contractors. These local companies are ranked by 2016 C. Fla. operating revenue. Central Florida notes Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. Companies participation in the local list must be headquartered in Central Florida in order to qualify.

NewsComments Off on Lock down: Local contractors prepare for Hurricane Irma’s worstcase scenario

Hurricane Irma now wobbling westward stands poised to knock on the Caribbean’s front door — and a turn to the northwest could pose a threat to construction projects in Central Florida if the Category 5 storm makes landfall.

Maitland-based Winter Park Construction isn’t taking any chances on 180 mph winds with $150 million worth of projects, its president told Orlando Business Journal.

“Because of the potential severity of this particular storm and the uncertainty of landfall, we have implemented a hurricane preparedness plan on every project in Florida,” Jeff Forrest said. “The most important part of this plan is reducing or eliminating any materials that could become airborne in severe winds.”

Winter Park Construction has specific staff assigned to check on all employees post-storm and visit each project once the roads are safe to see if any particular damage needs fixing, Forrest told OBJ.

Todd Andrew, president at Andrew General Contractors echoed concerns about winds: “We are securing all loose debris on job sites. We’re going to make sure we don’t create any unnecessary wind-borne debris. We’re making sure the job site is safe for surrounding neighbors and workers.”

One project is of particular concern, the 12,000-square-foot Orlando Union Rescue Mission underway on the southwest corner of West Colonial Drive and North John Young Parkway. “A hurricane could create flooding, it could wash out graded soil and it could undermine foundation,” Andrew said.

Keator Construction is putting the finishing touches on the $20 million Westside Shoppes near Windermere, which is scheduled to be completed this month.

“We brief our superintendents as to the procedures we follow,” George Aragon, vice president at Keator Construction, told OBJ. “All subcontractors must empty all trash from dumpsters, remove all loose materials from job site, roofs, etc.”

Any items that may become a projectile must be secured or removed, Aragon said.

Central Florida has seen its share of hurricanes and severe storms over the past 72 years, said Allen Finfrock, CEO of Apopka-based Finfrock. “We have developed a checklist for ensuring that our manufacturing plant and job sites are secure during severe weather. Our main concerns are wind and/or flood damage, or extended loss of power. We are putting in place action plans now at our job sites and in our plant to withstand heavy winds and are taking other precautionary measures. We currently have projects in Tampa, Orlando and Gainesville in varying stages of completion, and we will ensure that each of these sites will be prepared for the storm.”

Andrew General Contractors, Inc. was recently named to Orlando Business Journal’s “2017 Fast 50” list of Central Florida’s fastest, growing companies. This Is the second consecutive year that AGC has received this recognition.

In order to qualify for this year’s “Fast 50” list, companies must have been established by 2013 and had gross revenue of at least $1 million in 2014 or $5 million in 2016. Companies must also be at least 51% privately held, headquartered In Central Florida and not be a subsidiary of another company.

Orlando-based Andrew General Contractors is underway on Phase 1 of a project for Orlando Union Rescue Mission that includes the construction of a 12,000-square-foot building that will feature a commercial kitchen, dining hall, chapel, offices and a men’s dormitory. AGC also was awarded Phase 2 of the project, which includes the renovation of 140 rooms in the Parkwood Inn on West Colonial Drive.

Orlando concrete plant

Orlando-based Andrew General Contractors is under way on construction for Maschmeyer Concrete’s Orlando office plant, at 2401 Dinneen Ave., Orlando. The 5,000-square-foot interior buildout project began June 12 and is slated for completion in mid-August.

NewsComments Off on How I … Asked a dumb question (or three) and saved my company a boatload of money

Todd Andrew began his career in a hole in the ground.

Yes, a literal hole in the ground. He was working in the bottom of one in 90-degree heat when he was in high school. He watched a successful looking individual drive up in a BMW, get out to clarify things for the workers and was gone in 10 minutes.

That’s when he knew he wanted to be the master of his own destiny.

Andrew wants to clarify — he drives a Ford F-150, not a Beamer. He worked for two general contractors for 10 years. In 1996, he became in charge of sinking or swimming when he started Orlando-based Andrew General Contractors Inc. in the den of his house.

Timing wasn’t the best. His wife had just quit her job as a school teacher and given birth to their first child. There was zero money coming in. Andrew’s nerves were wracked.

Failure was not an option.

The phone was silent for a day and half. Then it rang. It was an old flag football buddy at Lucent Technology who needed a guard shack constructed. Andrew said he’d be right there.

Fast forward 20 years later, and Andrew General Contractors has completed eight projects for military contractors in Central Florida Research Park, totaling over $3 million and over 75,000 square feet in the past year and a half. In addition, the company has worked on retail projects in Nona Park and completed the 21,422-square-foot Challenger One office project in Research Park.

Here’s what else Andrew had to say about his successes and challenges:

From that guard shack up until now, what insights can you offer? Good contacts are important. Working for people who treat you fairly and with respect — that flows downhill to the subcontractors and the workers. Our focus was trying to keep repeat business, corporate clients and commercial real estate folks. Being trusted and reliable means making sure we delivered on what we were expected to provide. You maintain repeat business with persistence, assertiveness and communication skills.

What are you working on right now? We have 10 jobs underway. We have a retail building in Lake Nona underway for Equinox Development [Properties Inc.]. We just broke ground on the Orlando Union Rescue Mission — they moved to West Colonial Drive. We are working on the Phase 1 portion, which is all new buildings. We have two other buildouts in Williamsburg for Equinox Development, one for a chiropractor and one for a realty office.

Tell us about your work with military projects: There had actually been a brief slowdown [in military project work] during the election to see what Trump is going to do. My sources say it will pick back up toward the end of the year. It’s an exciting arena to do construction in — you’re working for high-tech companies that specialize in simulation technology. We believe Orlando is the hub for that.

What are some hard lessons you’ve learned? The hard lessons for me as a business owner stem from employee turnover and bad hiring. I would really make sure you feel comfortable with the person and do a background check before you hire them.

Who is your competition? Oh, do I have to say? I would say Orlando is saturated with construction. There is quite a bit of competition. It’s an accurate statement to say all of the largest contractors in the U.S. have offices here. Our clients have high expectations to deliver projects on schedule, under budget and high quality. There are many well-respected competitors that I admire. Did I sufficiently avoid the question?

What keeps you up at night? Staffing and the feeling that maybe you’ve let a customer down — no matter how minor it is. When you’re working for someone else, it’s so much easier to be objective. When you’re the business owner, it’s easy to get wrapped up in that. At the end of the day, some outcomes are out of your control.

Fill in the blank: How I ____ to affect an outcome? How I wasn’t afraid to ask a dumb question four times in a roomful of people. That saved our company a lot of money. People don’t always come out with the correct information and sometimes they’re confused. As a general contractor you need to understand what the truth is and how best to take corrective action. I’ve been in meetings where I’ve asked what I thought was a dumb question and by the third or fourth time I get the answer and I’m so glad I asked.

What’s an example? It might have to do with estimating a job. Did the estimation include the right size wire for the service? Why is the number so low? We called the electrician and asked him. Turns out he left all the wire out of the entire estimate. Had we turned that proposal in, it would have cost us $50,000.

What brings you joy in this job I truly love it when a plan starts to come together. You can feel the positive momentum. It’s exhilarating to know you’re delivering financially and meeting the customer’s expectations.

NewsComments Off on AGC Named One of Central Florida’s Top Construction Companies

Andrew General Contractors, Inc. is ranked number 25 on the Orlando Business Journal’s list of Central Florida’s Top Construction Companies/General Contractors. These local companies are ranked by 2016 C. Fla. operating revenue. Central Florida notes Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. Companies participation in the local list must be headquartered in Central Florida in order to qualify.

Andrew General Contractors was included on the Orlando Business Journal’s 2017 list of fastest-growing private companies.

The list recognizes the 50 fastest-growing private companies headquartered in Central Florida’s four-county region: Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola. They were ranked based on the companies’ percentage of revenue growth from 2014-2016.